


A Little Red (goes a long way)

by Gemi



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Don is not related to Leo, M/M, alternative universe, clan au, cursing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2016-09-23
Packaged: 2018-04-29 13:30:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5129414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemi/pseuds/Gemi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raphael got an arranged marriage to look forward to in the future.<br/>His heart decides this is the perfect timing to fall in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First chapter of Clan AU, wohoo! This story will have a lot of world building, frustrated Raph and a salty bromance. Hope you guys enjoy~

“We found you a match,” Hanae Hamato said as she sipped on her cup of tea.

Her son froze, half-way into his chair. Her other two sons blinked, blue eyes flicking towards their brother’s still form.

After a moment, he sat down, heavily enough that the chair scraped against the floor, porcelain cups clackering.

“What?” Raphael asked, finally. His teeth were gritted and his grip on the jar of raspberry jam he pulled close was, perhaps, a bit too hard.

“Yes,” Hanae said. Her voice continued to be pleasant, though her golden eyes were steely as she watched him. “She is a good match for you- from an equally ranked Clan, though the Clan is in Sweden. It would require you to move there, but I’m sure it will be little trouble.”

“She? It’s a fucking-!”

“ _Language_ , son.”

Raphael snarled and yanked his plate closer to himself. Leonardo cautiously pushed the teapot towards him. Raphael accepted it without thanks.  
The steam rose from his cup as he poured it in, snatching the sugar bowl before Michelangelo could get to it.  
Mikey held his hands up in surrender before he put some more distance between them by inching away with his chair.

“I told ya,” Raphael said through gritted teeth, struggling to remain calm, “I’m _gay_. You said you would try an’ find a herm.”

“I did, yes,” Hanae agreed. “Loosen your grip, sweetheart, or you might break the cup. I did tell you I would _try_. But the only hermaphrodites I have found are of lesser Clans, and I am not about to lessen the worth of our bloodline simply because you cannot accept all genitalia.”

Mikey snorted. Leonardo elbowed his side, hissing at him to be quiet.

“Well, we ain’t going to _have_ a bloodline with her,” Raph argued. “I’m not fucking a chick.”

“ _Language_ , Raphael. An heir is not necessary, as you do have two brothers, and Leonardo is after all engaged to Donatello Wasem-” they both ignored Leo as the other began to sigh dreamily, which in turn caused Mikey to snicker, “but I am not going to let go of the possibility. And there is always insemination.”

“I ain’t doing it. I’m not-” Raph pushed the chair back abruptly, snatching his plate of toast to take with him, “I’m not marrying some random girl from a Clan I haven’t even met before. I rather marry someone from Ayakaze!”

“Do not speak such foul words,” she warned. “And sit back down now, Raphael, you are not leaving this table before I explained their conditions to you.”

“Conditions?” Leo and Mikey echoed, Leo frowning.

“We are Hamatos,” Leonardo pointed out. “We are one of the most influential, biggest Clans out there. What kind of conditions would they possibly want to set? Why would we _accept_ them?”

“We accept them because they are reasonable ones,” Hanae sniffed. “Raphael, sit down. Honestly, why did you inherit your father’s temper?”

“Because he’s a jerk?” Michelangelo piped up, only to squawk as Raphael smacked him upside the head.

“No fighting by the table. Miss Yumi, please carry that tea back here, I’m in need of a refill.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Raphael reluctantly sat down, glaring daggers at his toast. The silence was stifling as they waited for Yumi to refill their mother’s cup.  
A murmured thanks from the elderly turtle. A sip of tea, and then the sound of the cup being put down.

“Their conditions are very reasonable, and I’m quite tempted to put part of them into our traditional contract,” Hanae Hamato said, pretending she didn’t see her sons’ horrified faces. “They want proof of your responsibility, working spirit and the intelligence required to deal with… lesser creatures.”

“You mean humans,” Mikey said, rolling his eyes. “Mom, we gotta work with ‘em if we want to remain on top.”

“That,” Hanae sniffed, “is a matter of opinion, but I am also speaking of Lesser Clans, and even Clanless ones. Sweden have quite a lot of both, and while the Bergamen Clan is a respectable one, they interact daily with not only humans, but Clanless and Lesser ones. Sadly it’s necessary, when living in such a small country.”

“So they want Raph to learn respect before he gets married?” Leo wryly said. “Easier said than done.”

“Oh, fuck y-”  
  
“Raphael.”

“Urgh.”

“They want him to work a… common job, with no influence from our Clan,” Hanae said carefully. “If he can hold the job down for six months, a proper contract will be written between our Clans. Miss Mona shall do the same.”

“Oooh, is that the name of Raphie’s new giiiirlfriend?”

“Mikey, I’ll kick your shell off in the dojo,” the furious turtle threatened. Michelangelo, safe in the knowledge that their mother would kick _Raph’s_ shell if he tried anything at the table, simply grinned at his brother.

“Yes,” Hanae cut in before it could escalate. “Mona is the third heir to the Bergamen Clan. They appear to have a good bloodline for females, which we certainly need. Together with Raph’s genes from the Grewal Clan, I certainly do hope some artificial reproduction will help us add at least one little Princess to this family.”

The brothers grimaced at the reminder.

For all that turtles from Hamato looked handsome and intimidating- with their tall stature and reflective shells- the male to female quota was extremely unequal. Out of thirty children hatched in the past five years, only three were females.  And a hermaphrodite hadn’t been hatched within the clan for five hundred years, at the very least.

The Grewals were a more balanced Clan; but apparently the Hamato genes had been stronger when it came to Raph, who was the youngest of his brothers and the only one with a different father.  
He was well aware of the disappointment his dick had been.

The golden eyed turtle grumbled and sank down further into his chair.

“Oh, so you really don’t think Raph or this Mona will-?” Leo asked curiously, trailing off without finishing.

“Mona appears to be of the same inclination as your brother,” the matriarch sniffed. “As such, we will put our focus on using artificial help once the marriage is a year old if they have yet to perform intercourse.” She ignored how both Michelangelo and Raphael choked on their toast, “This may change, of course, depending on how well they both do before the contract is written.”

“I bet Raphie will dishonor us,” Mikey wheezed out, still recovering from choking. “Like Mulan, only not as badass.”

“I told you to _stop calling me that._ ”

“Boys,” Hanae warned. “I understand that you are all slower to mature than most, but I demand some decency at the table. Finish your breakfast, you all have a busy day ahead. Remember, Michelangelo, you have physical therapy today, and I will make sure Charlie reminds you.”

Said turtle groaned.

Leonardo looked insulted at being compared to his twin and his younger brother.

Raphael snorted and shoved far too much toast into his mouth.

“I pray Miss Bergamen doesn’t meet any of you until the wedding,” their mother sighed.

 


	2. Chapter 2

“Ah, here you are.”  
  
Raphael grunted. He didn’t look away from where Mikey was, struggling with the physical therapy below in the dojo. The balcony ran all the way around, built in a way that it was easy to hide in the shadows. So Raph folded his arms against the railing and frowned down at the scene below.  
  
Donatello’s elbow bumped against his as he mimicked the pose. He peered down, and Raph felt more than heard his sigh. But he didn’t speak beyond that initial greeting.  
  
“You ain’t supposed to be here without a chaperone,” Raphael said after a long moment. He hated it when Donatello did the _thing_ where he waited him out, and- and yup, there it was. The little smile, the dark brown eyes flickering towards him before they turned back to watching Michelangelo do some painful looking stretches that was hard enough with _both_ legs, more so when you only had one and a half.  
  
“Sani is outside,” the other turtle replied. “Besides, the chaperone is only needed when it comes to Leo.” Donatello’s smile softened. “And he is busy accompanying your mother today.”  
  
“Urgh.”  
  
“Mmhm. Leo told me about Mona.”  
  
Raph groaned and pushed away from the railing.  
  
“Oh, fuck off.”  
  
“What?” Donatello trailed after him, shit-eating grin on his face, “I thought I could offer up some advice. After all, Leo and I were arranged too.”  
  
“ _Are_ , genius, since ya two are still fucking engaged,” Raph argued and stomped past Sani. The one-eyed turtle didn’t even blink and merely followed them at a polite distance. “And it ain’t the same anyway! You two been engaged since you were _hatched_.”  
  
“That doesn’t mean love automatically happens, Raphie.”  
  
“ _Fuck you_. Ya know I hate that name!”  
  
“A shame, truly,” Donatello said and bumped their shoulders together- or tried to. Raphael’s Hamato genes made him taller than most, and Donatello’s shoulder merely bumped against a thick bicep. “You were so cute, toddling after us. And here we are, you running off to do who knows what, spitting out F-words like it’s the newest fashion.”  
  
“If you keep calling me Raphie, I’ll go back to-”  
  
“Samiya? Oh, please, I dare you.”  
  
“Dare me?” Raphael huffed, and while he never would call Donnie the name he had hatched with, the bitching was a relief and so he continued with; “You can’t kick my shell, I’m better than you in the dojo.”  
  
“Mmmhm. But not better than Leo,” Donatello smiled wryly and patted his cousin’s arm, “and Sani is evenly matched with you. Isn’t that right, Sani?”  
  
“Last time ended in a draw, yes.”  
  
“And you do know that calling me by my hatch-name rather than my Chosen one would be _far_ too insulting to my honor. Sani is my chaperone and cousin, he would be unable to do anything _but_ challenge you.”  
  
“Yeah, well, fuck both of you.”  
  
“You really need to read a dictionary,” Donatello tsked. Then he tugged Raphael into the closest office. “Now, come on. It’s time for you to hunt some jobs. Yes, Leo told me, and yes, Hanae told me to nag on you, and yes Mikey need the privacy when he does his therapy. Sit. _Sit_ , Raph.”  
  
Raphael sat. He growled when Donnie patted his head, and then he groaned when Donatello pulled up a chair and sat down next to him.  
  
“I can job hunt myself, y’know.”  
  
“No, you really can’t,” Donatello grinned. “You don’t know what a CV is, and you don’t know any sites that will help you find a job. This is why the Wasem traditions are superior to the Hamato’s, you know. And the Bergamen Clan is clearly smarter than I thought. We aren’t completely shut out of the rest of the world unlike you guys. Now,” he continued and clicked open a blank document, “today we’re going to have you write a general CV that will be easy to change slightly depending on the job you’re applying for. Then we will sign you up on a wonderful job hunting site, specially made for Shieldbacks.”  
  
Raph frowned.  
  
“Why would we need a special site for our race?” he asked, frown deepening. “Ain’t we the superior ones?”  
  
“Oh, Raphie,” Donatello sighed. “Remind me to drag Leo out into the world, too, before he say such idiotic things as well.”  
  
_“Hey!”_  
  
“What? It’s true. You Hamatos go for the looks, not the brains. Unlike _some_ Clans.” He fistbumped Sani. Raphael rolled his eyes and shoved at him.  
  
“Shut up. I’m not an idiot!”  
  
“No, you’re just a sheltered little hatchling in need of some guidance. Don’t give me that look. Ah-hah! Here is a good outline for a CV. Read through it, then write something based on it and I will check to make sure it’s good enough.”  
  
“But- Don,” Raph said, frustrated, “Seriously, why do we need a special site?”  
  
Donatello sighed.  
  
“Well, you know your mother’s opinion on everyone who aren’t part of, at the very least, middle ranked Clan- do you really think the rest of the world doesn’t have its opinion too?”  
  
“What, ya mean some would want an Ayakaze instead of a Hamato?” he asked incredulously, “That makes no fucking sense.”  
  
“Actually, while the Ayakaze Clan is looked down upon by all other Clans, humans are very fond of them,” Don said with a smile. “They may have an extreme amount of humans and hybrids within them, and all the health problems such mixed bloodlines bring, but they are very flexible when it comes to work. One of them made the prosthetic for Mikey’s leg, you know. And they’re still working on something better- Shieldback amputees aren’t exactly the most common thing, and prosthetics made for humans can’t quite hold our weight. And that is _one_ example from a very big Clan that just happens to be the lowest ranked.”  
  
Raphael sank down in his chair, trying to wrap his mind around this. To him, the Ayakaze had always been presented as a small Clan. Compared to all the hybrids and humans, the Clan had a very small percent of full-bred turtles in their midst. And everyone knew only actual _turtles_ counted.  
  
“Ain’t as big as our Clan,” he muttered childishly.  
  
Donatello rolled his eyes and nudged at him.  
  
“We can discuss more on that later. Now, it’s time to write. Alright, let’s start with some basic information.”

  
  
**~**

  
  
“How did it go?” Leo asked when he later slid up to them, bending down slightly to kiss Donnie on the cheek.  
  
“Fuck you,” was Raphael’s snarled reply.  
  
“It went well,” Donatello said instead, and Raph made a gagging sound as the engaged couple stared lovingly into each other’s eyes for longer than was probably legal. “The CV is done, and we applied him to three different jobs that he found actually interesting, and five he wasn’t much for.”  
  
“He also broke the printer, two chairs and nearly smashed the screen,” Sani deadpanned.  
  
“Better than expected, then,” Leo said, “You are amazing, Donnie, always working miracles.”  
  
Raphael and Sani exchanged disgusted looks.  
  
“Ya gotta chaperone _this_?” he hissed in a low voice, not that he should have bothered. Leo and Don were in their own little world made up of clasped hands, whispered giggles and adoring compliments that were quickly derailing into pure nonsense.  
  
“Yeah,” Sani sighed. “You don’t know how tempted I am to just let them go at it instead.”  
  
“You totally should.”  
  
“Because Mrs. Hamato and my aunt would be _so_ happy with kids hatched out of wedlock.”  
  
“Urgh. Not fair that all of us gotta suffer ‘cuz of stupid shit like that,” Raph complained. Sani hummed in agreement.  
  
Raphael glanced out the window as they walked behind the couple. There was a lot to look at; the Hamato mansion was enormous, with huge, green gardens and smaller houses scattered across the entire area. He was pretty sure Mikey had compared the size of their grounds to that of a small village once, but Raphael himself had never gotten to travel as much as Mikey did. As it was, they lived just outside of New York City, with little to few villages between their own land and the big city.  
But he did know most of his Clan’s people, and so he squinted when he saw an albino turtle wander around on the stone paths.  
  
They didn’t _have_ any albinos.  
  
“What the fuck,” he said bluntly. “Hey, Leo, are we supposed to have guests today?”  
  
“Hm? No, they should all have left by now,” the heir said, glancing over his shoulder at Sani and Raph. “Why?”  
  
Raphael nodded against the white dot.  
  
“We ain’t got some random albino I ain’t heard of, right?”  
  
The group stopped to stare at the turtle.  
  
The turtle was too far away to see their face, but of what they could see they were, indeed, an albino. And wearing black clothes. They covered the shell, too, which meant that whoever it was, they were definitely not an Hamato. The Hamatos were proud of their shells, which reflected all light that hit them, and as such had specifically made clothes to display their backs at all times.  
  
The albino clearly did not.  
  
“I’ll contact security,” Leonardo said, frowning heavily. “That’s none of the visitors we had today, and the only albino I know of is part of the Grewal Clan- and she is too egg-heavy to risk travelling.”  
  
Which meant whoever it was, they were low ranked. Donatello rolled his eyes at the shudder everyone suddenly experienced.  
  
“You are all overly dramatic,” he said and slipped away from Leo’s arm. “they might be a friend of someone here, and you know people don’t always contact the security house whenever they are inviting someone.”  
  
“Yes, but that’s only acceptable when it’s at least a medium ranked Clan,” Leonardo argued, trailing after his fiance. “there are no albinos in the medium ranked Clans, I would have heard of it- and as I said, there’s only one hona from Grewal with the gene.”  
  
“I am most definitely dragging you into the world with me the moment we’re married.”  
  
“What does that even mean?”  
  
Raph snorted, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the albino that continued to wander around  
the grounds. He had never seen an actual albino. Hell, he had never even met a low ranked turtle.  
  
“I can go and talk with ‘em instead,” he offered. It earned him a sharp look from Leo, which in turn made Raphael tense up. “What? Why you looking at me like that?”  
  
“You are not going over there to talk with some strange, lower ranked Shieldback,” Leonardo huffed, back to holding Donnie’s hand as they turned down another corridor. “Let the guards handle it. For all we know, they are an Ayakaze- though how they would get an albino amongst them, I don’t know.”  
  
“Actually, because of the high amount of genetic differences in their Clan, they are more likely to have an albino than the Hamatos,” Donatello said. Considered. “Or even the Wasems.”  
  
The other three turtles gave him looks of pure disgust.  
  
Raphael wanted to protest, curiosity making him feel bold. But then his mother swooped in with questions and demands, and he was forced to push the curiosity away.  
  
It was probably not someone important, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Donatello is ftm trans! Surprise ;3  
> And oh, yeah, Mikey is missing a leg. I do wonder who made his prosthetic........................ hmmmm


	3. Chapter 3

The store looked simple and tiny, barely visible in how it was tucked awkwardly into the street corner. The entire building seemed to be made just so one would overlook the store and it’s too bright, cheery sign and it’s tiny window that cheerfully informed Raph that it was a… a.. yeah, he wasn’t sure. Pets and shit.  
  
He wasn’t sure, because Raphael felt like he was going to throw up from fucking _nerves_.  
  
“Breathe, bro,” Mikey said and not very helpfully patted Raph on the shoulder. “It’s okay. You already nailed the job, c’mon, all you need to do is get your flat butt in there.”  
  
Raph wheezed.  
  
“Ain’t flat,” he said. Groaned and rubbed at his face, grateful they were hidden away in the shadows. So far no one seemed to pay attention to them, despite their fancy outfits and how they were Shieldbacks in a street mostly filled with humans. Once he caught his breath, Raphael turned a glare towards his brother. “My ass is way better than _yours_.”  
  
“You can’t even see your ass,” Mikey pointed out, though the grin he gave Raph was one of relief. Likely over the fact that Raph hadn’t thrown up on Mikey’s feet or something. “Trust me, bro, mine is better.”  
  
“You can’t see your own ass _either_.”  
  
“Hello,” said a cheerful voice. Raphael and Michelangelo both yelped and jumped in shock. When they whirled around, they saw a Shieldback beam happily at them, peeking out from the backdoor to the store. “Are one of you Ra-Raphael Hamato? Because, like, we’re waitin’ for one like that, an’ I just thought I would check an’ stuff. Oh, um, I’m Yoshino! Or, well, Yoshi. Most call me Yoshi.”  
  
They stared.  
  
Yoshi blinked owlishly back. Their eyes were wide and honey colored, so big that they probably looked younger than they actually were.   
They had red markings, too, so bright they looked painted on.   
  
“What Clan are _you_?” Mikey blurted out. “I don’t recognize anything from you.”  
  
Yoshino blinked once more, before they giggled nervously. The turtle stepped out from the building, revealing that they were wearing jeans and what looked like a simple, yellow uniform shirt with a nametag on.  
  
“Oh, I’m from the Green Clan! It’s alright if ya ain’t heard of us, because we’re not that many and we are very low, I mean, only the Ayakaze is below us, w-which, really, it’s pretty funny since, I mean, that’s. Um. Anyway, which one of you is Raphael?” the turtle asked brightly.  
  
Michelangelo grinned and pointed at Raph.  
Raphael couldn’t stop gaping.  
  
Sure, the turtle was tiny, so short Raphael would have thought the turtle to be but a child if from the Hamato Clan.   
And sure, the turtle was from such a low Clan that Raphael had no memory of ever hearing about. But that wasn’t why he was gaping.  
  
He was gaping because the turtle was clearly a _hermaphrodite_.  
  
“You’re a herm,” he blurted out, and Yoshino’s eyes flickered nervously.  
  
“Um, a-amongst humans, that is a very offensive term, so we prefer t-to call it intersex,” they said shyly, “but yes, I do possess b-both sets, and am f-fully functional in that manner. Ah, but I prefer to go by male pronouns.”  
  
“Right, sorry, Raph is just shocked because we didn’t know we had any of your kind left,” Mikey cut in before Raphael could make himself look even more idiotic, “Last we heard, the last one died, like, three hundred years ago.” His voice squeaked at the end, and it nearly made Raph grin.  
  
“That’s because you are of the Higher Clans,” a new voice cut in, and Raphael was startled to see another Shieldback wander out from where Yoshino had popped out. Unlike Yoshino, however, this turtle was clearly male, and nearly as tall as Raphael. His eyes were amber, his skin green as leafs. “Amongst lower Clans, especially the Green Clan, they are pretty common. Raph, right? I’m Nicco, your new boss.”  
  
“Raphael,” Raph corrected, voice stiff as he glanced between the two new turtles. Nicco smirked at him, and the turtle crossed his arms and leaned back.  
  
“Right, I’ll keep that in mind. Why don’t you two get your fancy asses in here so I can show off our store?”  
  
“Actually, dude, I gotta run off,” Michelangelo cut in. He gestured down at his prosthetic. “I gotta get this thing calibrated and shit. Also I don’t wanna be here.” He grinned at all of them and gave a quick salute. “Take care of my lil’ bro, he’s shy.”  
  
“ _Fuck off_.”  
  
“ _So_ shy,” Mikey cooed, and Raphael’s cheeks burnt at how Yoshino was clearly trying to not laugh, while Nicco had a shit-eating grin on. He tried to snatch his brother back, but Michelangelo easily avoided the grabbing hands, turning the corner and leaving Raphael to his doom.  
  
It was silent for a moment, or close to with how Yoshino’s shoulders were shaking as the young turtle tried to not laugh.  
  
“Well then,” Nicco finally said, “get _your_ fancy ass in here, so we can show you around our little establishment. Also, you need to try out your work clothes.”  
  
Raphael grimaced, glancing at the yellow shirts the both of them wore. Even though he wasn’t a huge fan of fashion, he knew enough that it was cheap-ass fabric. But Nicco had already walked back inside, and Raphael found himself unable to say anything rude to the happy smile Yoshino wore on his face.  
  
The store was small, though Raphael suspected it was bigger than it looked. The shelves created a little labyrinth of dog treats, cat toys and supplies one may need when keeping a pet, and he followed the two Shieldbacks throughout it all, eyeing the occasional stains on the floor with disgust.  
  
“First, we need to get you a proper shirt,” Nicco said, quickly tapping in the code to get through a door that seemed covered in advertisement, animal shelters begging for donations and the occasional missing pet poster, “Then we will show you around properly, as well as give you a list of your duties.”  
  
The door beeped open; Nicco held it for them, and did a fancy little bow that had Yoshino giggling, the smaller turtle using the edges of his yellow shirt to curtsey back.  
  
“After you, good sirs,” Nicco said with a wink, and Yoshino bounced into the room. Raphael glared, his arms crossed and his posture tense, but he nevertheless followed the hermaphrodite into the backroom. He heard Nicco enter after them, the door closing with a _click_.  
  
Raphael eyed his new surroundings critically; if he had thought the store itself felt cramped, then this room was claustrophobic. In one corner was the tiniest kitchen he had ever seen, with only one heating spot. On the tiny kitchen counter there was a coffee maker and a microwave, apparently fighting for what little space there was while the cupboard looked like pieces of paint had tried to flee, leaving the white wood with what looked to be blue spots underneath.  
  
He scowled.  
  
“This looks like shit.”  
  
“Well, isn’t that rude,” Nicco snorted, Yoshino gaping at Raphael, “This is where we will eat. We only got two chairs, but that’s alright; I can take my lunch in the office.”  
  
“You got an office _as well_? Is it for ants?” Raph asked, turning around to stare at Niccolo. The leaf green turtle rolled his eyes, throwing a bunched up shirt at Raph’s chest and pointed towards a door to the side. The Hamato nearly dropped the shirt, but managed to catch it before it could fall onto the floor.  
  
“As I am the heir to the Ayakaze Clan, I need an office to handle stuff. Best to have it here, so I can work in my shop at the same time as I handle paperwork,” Nicco said, his smirk wide as his comment had Raphael splutter.  
  
“You’re a fucking _Ayakaze!?_ ”  
  
“Yup,” Yoshino spoke up, beaming as if he was _proud_ of having an Ayakaze for a boss, “One of the biggest Clans! Isn’t that cool?”  
  
“They’re _at the bottom of the totem pole_!” Raphael yelled; it was more like a shriek, and his face was flushed a darker green than usual, “There’s nothing cool ‘bout it! Like _fuck_ am I gonna work here.”  
  
“Ah, I see you are a true Hamato,” Nicco said and rolled his eyes. “Well, I am indeed an Ayakaze. Niccolo Ayakaze. Now, I see we must put down a few ground rules already.” The Ayakaze leaned against his office door, meeting Raph’s furious glare without hesitation. “First of all, there are no ranks or race in here. We are co-workers; out there, we have customers. None shall be judged whether they are from a high or low Clan, are human, turtle, white or black. Do you understand?”  
  
“I don’t fucking care, I’m not gonna _stay_ here,” Raph snarled, whirling around to exit the small room.  
  
“Did you get _any_ other acceptance mail from all the other jobs you tried applying to?”  
  
Raphael froze.  
  
“It may come as a shock to you, but most establishments do not like to hire stuck-up brats,” Niccolo continued, and Raphael turned back around to spit out a retort. The Ayakaze cut him off before he could. “Unless they belong to a high ranked Clan and do not interact with humans to begin with; however, something tells me that the reason you wanted this job is _because_ you need to learn how to interact with humans.”  
  
“Yeah, well,” Raph spluttered, trying to make himself seem as tall as possible; which was quite easy, considering how most Hamatos were built, “Why did _you_ accept then, huh?”  
  
“I used to know a high ranked turtle,” Nicco said. Raphael blinked, surprised by the bluntness of the other. Niccolo merely raised an eye ridge at him. “One who is quite possibly a Hamato right now, as they were engaged when I met them. But I know that it is important to give your kind a chance, and you should realize it’s important to show some damn respect to your boss.  
  
Niccolo nodded towards the shirt that Raph still held.  
  
“Make sure that’s the right size; if not, Yoshi will help you out,” the leaf green turtle said, walking past Raphael to go back into the store; he stopped in the doorway, looking after his shoulders to meet Raph’s golden eyes. “Oh, and you’re in charge of cleaning the cages,” Nicco added.  
  
The door closed before Raphael could yell in protest; Yoshino let out a nervous giggle, that somehow only grew stronger when Raph tried to glare at the smaller Shieldback.  
  
“Yellow suits ya,” the short turtle giggled.  
  
Raphael disagreed.


End file.
